Lions District 13-D

Welcome to our Website!!!

September 12, 2011

Welcome to our place on the web. The counties of
Northeastern Ohio that make up our Lions District include
Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark and Trumbull.
This is our newly designed site that we hope you enjoy reading
and using.

What are Lions?

Lions Clubs are the largest service organization in the world
with over 1.35 million members world-wide in 206 countries and
geographic regions. We are volunteer individuals that make up the Clubs in our
communities. Clubs make up a Zone area
and Zones combine to make up the District. There are
53 clubs in our District. Districts make up
Multiple Districts the whole of Lions
Clubs International.

Our main goal is to help with preventable blindness in our
communities and around the world. That means we collect used glasses and raise
funds for eye exams and glasses for those that cannot afford it.
More serious eye sight problems are referred to our District Eye
Care Foundation, guided by a Board with a surgical advisor, that
provides further funds for surgeries for cataracts, etc.
This is the only one in the State of Ohio!

Guide dogs are also funded by many clubs in the
District for individuals that have already lost their sight.
Special dogs are bred, raised and trained by professionals at
Pilot Dogs of Ohio, Inc. Sight impaired individuals are
given round trip transportation to the training facility and
training with their new dog.

Various other community projects are done by Lions Clubs as
determined by each Club's ability. These can range from
painting community buildings, road side cleanup, building
playgrounds or whatever the need may be.

Helen Keller - A Challenge

1925 International Convention
Cedar Point, Ohio, USA
June 30, 1925

“Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be
no preventable blindness; no little deaf, blind child
untaught; no blind man or woman unaided? I appeal to you
Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are
strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute
yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against
darkness?”

History

Melvin Jones – Founder of Lions Clubs International

Melvin Jones was born on January 13, 1879 in Fort Thomas,
Arizona, the son of a United States Army captain who commanded a
troop of scouts. Later, his father was transferred and the family
moved east. As a young man, Melvin Jones made his home in Chicago,
Illinois, became associated with an insurance firm and in 1913
formed his own agency.

He soon joined the Business Circle, a businessmen's luncheon group,
and was shortly elected secretary. This group was one of many at
that time devoted solely to promoting the financial interests of
their membership. Because of their limited appeal, they were
destined to disappear. Melvin Jones, however, had other plans.

"What if these men," he asked, "who are successful because of
their drive, intelligence and ambition, were to put their talents to
work improving their communities?" Thus, at his invitation,
delegates from men's clubs met in Chicago to lay the groundwork for
such an organization and on June 7, 1917, Lions Clubs International
was born.

Melvin Jones eventually abandoned his insurance agency to devote
himself full time to Lions at International Headquarters in Chicago.
It was under his dynamic leadership that Lions clubs earned the
prestige necessary to attract civic-minded members.

The association's founder was also recognized as a leader by those
outside the association. One of his greatest honors was in 1945 when
he represented Lions Clubs International as a consultant in San
Francisco, California, at the organization of the United Nations.

Melvin Jones, the man whose personal code – "You can't get very far
until you start doing something for somebody else" – became a
guiding principle for public-spirited people the world over, died
June 1, 1961 at 82 years of age.

Lions Code of Ethics

Individual members of Lions Clubs International are guided by
a Code of Ethics, which, with only minor changes, has stood the
test of time since its adoption by the International Convention
of 1918.

To show my faith in the worthiness of my vocation by
industrious application to the end that I may merit a reputation
for quality of service.

To seek success and demand all fair remuneration or profit as
my just due, but to accept no profit or success at price of my
own self-respect lost because of unfair advantage taken or
questionable acts on my part.

To remember that in building up my business, it is not
necessary to tear down another’s; to be loyal to my clients or
customers and true to myself.

Whenever a doubt arises as to the right or ethics of my
position or action towards my fellow men, to resolve such doubt
against myself.

To hold friendship as an end and not a means. To hold that
true friendship exists not on account of the
service performed by one to another, but that true friendship
demands nothing but accepts service in the
spirit in which it is given.

Always bear in mind my obligations as a citizen to my nation,
my state and my community, and to give
them my unswerving loyalty in word, act and deed. To give them
freely of my time, labor and means.

To aid my fellow men by giving my sympathy to those in
distress, my aid to the weak, and my substance to the needy.

To be careful with my criticism and liberal with my praise;
to build up and not destroy.